The present invention relates to a bidirectional joining device with an integral passage between two enclosures.
More specifically, the invention relates to an assembly constituted by two enclosures, each of which is provided with an opening and a plug permitting, when said two enclosures are joined together, the simultaneous removal of the plugs in order to permit the transfer to take place between the enclosures without any significant change of atmosphere with the exterior.
The invention is of particular interest for the discharge or introduction from one enclosure relative to the other of a content which must either be protected from the external atmosphere (maintaining sterility in the medical field) or confined in order to protect the external atmosphere from its polluting action (confinement of radioactive contamination in the nuclear field or chemical toxicity).
More specifically, the invention has for its object a gasket of a particular type and with a multiple function, the arrangement of this gasket on the periphery of the opening of one of the enclosures ensures on the one hand a very good sealing between the enclosure and the plug thereof and on the other hand a very good sealing between said enclosure and the second enclosure when they are joined together.
The invention aims more particularly at the case where the enclosure carrying the special gasket is a conventional petrol drum with a capacity of 100 or 200 liters, the gasket being such that the modifications to be made to the drum are of a minor nature and can be carried out at very low cost.
Another object of the invention is to construct such a device in which the complete second enclosure, including the gasket and the plug is particularly inexpensive.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention relates to a bidirectional joining device between a first enclosure having a flange serving as a seat for a first plug provided with a first gasket and a second enclosure having an opening, a second plug and a second gasket, the first gasket providing sealing between the first plug and the flange and the first plug and the second plug when the latter are joined together, wherein the second enclosure has a circular opening, the second plug has a peripheral edge perpendicular to the axis of the two plugs, a lateral wall having a convex portion and a base, the second gasket has an external lateral face, an internal lateral face and an upper face turned towards the outside of the second enclosure, said external lateral face being sealingly fixed to the side wall of the second enclosure, said internal lateral face having a first bead for cooperating with the convex portion of the second plug to ensure the joining of the second plug to the drum by locking the bead between the convex portion and the edge, said upper face having an external annular contact area which is preferably a lip ensuring the sealing between the drum and the flange of the first enclosure when the two enclosures are joined together, the second annular contact area which is preferably a lip and ensures by deformation the contact with the peripheral edge surface of the second plug in order to bring about sealing between the latter and the upper face of the gasket.
Preferably, this device is characterized in that the gasket of the second enclosure has an annular groove in the inner lateral face partly separating the bead from the remainder of the gasket in order to permit a certain pivoting of the bead by elastic deformation under the action of the curved portion of the second plug during the penetration of the latter and a third contact area which is preferably an internal lip on the upper face of the gasket at the base of said bead in such a way that the third contact area can pivot at the same time as the bead prior to also being compressed by the peripheral edge of the second plug.